India turns to ‘poop transplants’ to restore gut health

New Delhi: While heart and kidney transplants are well known, Faecal Microbiota Transplantation (FMT), or stool transplant, is quietly gaining ground in India. The procedure restores healthy gut bacteria by transferring stool from a healthy donor into a patient’s colon through colonoscopy, capsules, or other methods.

Approved worldwide for treating C. diff infections that cause severe colon inflammation, FMT has shown success rates above 90%. In India, demand is rising due to increased antibiotic use and gut disorders.

“We have conducted more than 400 stool transplants, including patients from nine countries,” said Dr. (Col) Avnish Seth, Chairman, Gastroenterology and Hepato-Biliary Sciences, Manipal Hospitals NCR Cluster. He performed India’s first FMT in 2014 and now heads RIGHTs, the country’s first department dedicated to stool transplants.

Research is exploring FMT for IBS, IBD, liver disease, Parkinson’s, autism, and obesity. With about 10% of Indians facing IBS and gut issues, doctors say the treatment could be life changing.

Donors are screened and must be healthy, with no recent antibiotic use. Side effects are rare and usually mild — brief fever, cramps, or loose stools. While one dose often treats C. diff, other conditions may need booster doses every six months.

“This treatment takes a biological approach by reintroducing healthy microbiota directly from a donor,” Dr. Seth said. “Gut bacteria play a vital role in digestion, immune response, and overall well-being.”

Australia pioneered much of the early research, and FMT is now used in several countries as a low-cost, safe option for restoring gut health.